By Ameh Ejekwonyilo
Abuja
An Abuja Federal High Court yesterday granted an application by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join, as a co-defendant in a suit instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking to unseat 11 senators who defected to the APC.
The suit was filed before Justice Ahmed Mohammed by the PDP and its National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu.
The plaintiffs are urging the court to declare the seats of the affected senators vacant having abandoned the party on which platform they won elections into the Senate.
Justice Mohammed in a short ruling granted APC’s prayer to be joined along with the already existing 13 defendants, which included the 11 defected senators.
President of the Senate, David Mark, and the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) are the first and the 13th defendants, respectively.
Prior to the court’s ruling yesterday, the plaintiffs, through their counsel, confirmed to the court that they were no longer interested in opposing APC’s application.
The court then ordered in its ruling that the plaintiffs’ originating summon be served on the APC, the newly joined defendant, through its counsel, James Ocholi.
He then adjourned the matter till July 8 “for further mention.”
The affected senators, who are joined as the second to 12th defendants include, Abdulahi Adamu, Ali Ndume, Umaru Dahiru, Shaaba Lafiaji, Bukola Saraki, and Magnus Abe.
Others are, Wilson Ake, Danjuma Goje, Bindowo Jibrilla, Aisha Al-Hassan and Ibrahim Gobir.
